The invention relates to a method for preparing a terminal to be used in a system for exchanging data between said terminal and access means via a communication network, which terminal comprises: a terminal-interface to be coupled to the telecommunication network, a processor coupled to the terminal-interface, and a terminal-memory coupled to the processor, wherein the access means comprise: at least one access point to be coupled to the telecommunication network and at least one server to be coupled to the access point via a data connection
Such a method, with the terminal, for example, being a personal computer and with the access means being formed by an access provider and a service provider, and with the telecommunication network being, for example, an analog or an ISDN network, is of common general knowledge. The terminal-interface comprises, for example, a modem card or an ISDN board, and the terminal-memory comprises, for example, a hard disk drive and/or a floppy disk drive. Before being able to use the system, for example for exchanging e-mail messages via INTERNET, a user must install software by inserting a floppy disk into a drive and typing commands.
In a different method, with the terminal for example being a mobile (e.g., Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), or Cordless Telephony System (CTS) terminal) or a wireless (e.g., Digital European Cordless Telecommunication (DECT) terminal, the terminal-interface is, for example, a GSM interface, a UMTS interface, a CTS interface, a DECT interface or a radio-interface coupled to a radio link.
The above-described methods are disadvantageous, inter alia, because of requiring a certain skilled level and an amount of time from the user before the system can be used, whereby the occurrence of failures cannot be excluded, which further delay a possible use of the system.
It is an object of the invention, inter alia, to provide a method as defined in the preamble, which excludes the occurrence of failures during an installment requiring a minimum skill level and a minimum amount of time from the user.
The method according to the invention is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of: selecting at least one access code out of many access codes defining addresses of access points, and storing at least one selected access code into the terminal-memory, which is a non-mechanical memory.
By selecting at least one access code defining an address of an access point, such as a telephone number of an access provider, and storing this access code into the non-mechanical terminal-memory, together with software for performing protocols (which software has been stored before or is stored at the same time), the terminal is almost completely ready for use, with a complex and time-consuming installment by a user no longer being necessary. In particular, when the terminal is in the form of a telephone comprising a display and two keyboards, the average user will be of lower skill level than the average user of a personal computer, in which case the method according to the invention is even more advantageous.
The invention is based on the insight, inter alia, that present non-mechanical terminal-memories may comprise all codes defining destinations, all software for performing protocols and all further commands, to allow a terminal being as much self-supporting and independent as possible.
The invention solves the problem, inter alia, of providing a method for preparing a terminal to be used in a system for exchanging data between the terminal and access means via a telecommunication network, by not just storing regular software for performing protocols but also selecting and storing access codes defining addresses of access points, which strongly reduces the number of actions to be performed by a user.
A first embodiment of the method according to the invention is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of: selecting at least one server code out of many server codes defining addresses of servers, and storing at least one selected server code into the non-mechanical terminal-memory.
By selecting at least one server code defining an address of a server, such as a number of a server provider, and storing this server code into the non-mechanical terminal-memory, the terminal is completely ready for use, apart from a start command, which could be generated via one of the keyboards by typing a command or pressing a button.
A second embodiment of the method according to the invention is characterized in that the non-mechanical terminal-memory comprises a card reader and a card.
In this case a user could shift the card comprising access codes and/or server codes into the card reader, after which either the codes are transported to a further part of the non-mechanical memory, such as a Read Only Memory (ROM) or a Random Access Memory (RAM), or not. The software for performing protocols could then either be stored in the further part, or even on the card, if possible.
The invention further relates to a system for exchanging data between a terminal and access means via a telecommunications network, which terminal comprises: a radio-interface to be coupled to the telecommunication network via a radio link, a processor coupled to the radio-interface, and a terminal-memory coupled to the processor, wherein the access means comprise at least one access point to be coupled to the telecommunication network, and at least one server to be coupled to the access point via a data connection.
The system according to the invention is characterized in that the terminal-memory is a non-mechanical memory comprising at least one access code which has been selected out of many access codes defining addresses of access points.
A first embodiment of the system according to the invention is characterized in that the non-mechanical terminal-memory comprises at least one server code which has been selected out of many server codes defining addresses of servers.
A second embodiment of the system according to the invention is characterized in that the non-mechanical terminal-memory comprises a card reader and a card.
A third embodiment of the system according to the invention is characterized in that the system comprises generation means for generating a challenge signal, with the card comprising a key signal and calculation means for calculating a response signal in response to the challenge signal, and with the access means comprising judging means for judging the calculated response signal.
By providing either the terminal or the access means with the generation means and by providing the card with the key signal and the calculation means and by providing the access means with the judging means, an authentication procedure becomes possible, whereby all confidential processes either take place inside the smart card or inside the access means, with the terminal (excluding the smart card) being authentication-independent.
A fourth embodiment of the system according to the invention is characterized in that the card comprises receiving means for receiving a PIN (Personal Identification Number) signal and for, in case of the PIN signal being correct or not, activating or deactivating the calculation means.
The PIN signal, which for example could be generated by a user by using at least one of the keyboards, prevents an unauthorized user using the smart card.
The invention yet further relates to a terminal for exchanging data with access means via a telecommunication network, which terminal comprises:
a radio-interface to be coupled to the telecommunication network via a radio link,
a processor coupled to the radio-interface, and
a terminal-memory coupled to the processor,
which access means comprise
at least one access point to be coupled to the telecommunication network, and
at least one server to be coupled to the access point via a data connection.
The terminal according to the invention is characterized in that the terminal-memory is a non-mechanical memory comprising at least one access code which has been selected out of many access codes defining addresses of access points.
A first embodiment of the terminal according to the invention is characterized in that the non-mechanical terminal-memory comprises at least one server code which has been selected out of many server codes defining addresses of servers.
A second embodiment of the terminal according to the invention is characterized in that the non-mechanical terminal-memory comprises a card reader and a card.
A third embodiment of the terminal according to the invention is characterized in that the card comprises a key signal and calculation means for calculating a response signal in response to a challenge signal.
A fourth embodiment of the terminal according to the invention is characterized in that the card comprises receiving means for receiving a PIN signal and for, in the case of the PIN signal being correct or not, activating or deactivating the calculation means.
All references including further references cited with respect to and/or inside the references are considered to be incorporated in this patent application.